Forrest Welch Cleveland
March 22, 1949 – October 4, 2021
Armed with a great sense of humor and the strength of his convictions, longtime Prosser, Wash., resident Forrest Cleveland loved a good discussion. As it was nearly impossible to get him to change his mind, it’s not surprising he left this world on his own timetable.
Forrest’s many close friends and family members, including many in the Hot-Air Ballooning community, mourned his passing on October 4, 2021, at the Richland Rehabilitation Center, following a lengthy illness. His loving wife, Patricia, sat nearby during his last hours.
Forrest Welch Cleveland was born in Arlington Heights, Illinois, on March 22, 1949, the younger son of his parents, Gaylord and Martha Axelsen Cleveland. During his youth, the family moved frequently, living in California, Arizona, and Oregon. Forrest graduated from Baker High School in Oregon and attended Oregon State University briefly. He enlisted in the Air Force and served in the Azores as a Communications Technician.
Forrest moved to Lake County, Oregon, and worked in several sawmills, starting at “the bottom of the green chain” and working his way up to Handyman, learning to operate and maintain all the machines in the mill. He earned a degree in Irrigation Technology at Walla Walla Community College and worked briefly running pivot irrigation construction crews in Saudi Arabia with Pierce Corporation.
In 1983 Forrest and Patricia moved to Prosser, where Forrest joined Sun Heaven Farms as an irrigation electrician. He worked on properties on the Horse Heaven and in the Columbia Basin and other areas of Eastern Washington. He eventually operated his own irrigation business, Makan Irrigation, and later drove a bus with Ben Franklin Transit until retiring due to illness.
Of all the things he accomplished in life, his greatest joy came from being a parent, a father-in-law, and a grandparent. He served as an Elder at Messiah Lutheran Church in Prosser and was a proud lifetime member of the National Rifle Association.
Forrest is survived and will be missed greatly by his wife, Patricia Walker Cleveland; their daughter, Makenzie (Andrew) Johnson of Enumclaw, Wash.; and their son, Rowen; and daughter, Anna (Ryan) Coder of Graham, Wash.; and also, by his brother, Gaylord (Jody) Cleveland of Reno, Nevada; and by numerous nieces, nephews and great nieces and great nephews.
The family wishes to thank the staff at Sun Terrace in Prosser and the Richland Rehabilitation Center for the excellent care they provided Forrest over the years.
Interment, with military honors, was held in the Prosser Cemetery on October 8, 2021. A funeral service will be held in the Messiah Lutheran Church in Prosser at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 16, 2021.
Donations may be made to Sunnyside Christian School or Messiah Lutheran Church.
